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(Jamestown Sun, The (ND) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) March 20--The South Central Dakota Regional Council is looking for new office space after its board of directors accepted a $125,000 offer Wednesday from the Jamestown/Stutsman Development Corp. to buy out the council's portion of the Center for Economic Development building.

Joseph Neis, Edgeley mayor and president of the SCDRC Executive Committee, said the JSDC made the offer based on an appraisal commissioned by the JSDC that was completed in January for the Center for Economic Development building for $470,000.

The SCDRC, JSDC and Jamestown Area Chamber of Commerce own the Center for Economic Development building. The JSDC owns 50 percent of the building, the SCDRC owns 32 percent and the chamber owns 18 percent.

Neis said the subcommittee of the executive committee is looking at building options, but a new location for the SCDRC has not been selected.

"We do have some options, nothing is set as yet," Neis said. "We would have an agreement with the JSDC to lease office space here until we find a new space."
Connie Ova, JSDC CEO, said it isn't the intention of the JSDC to "push" the SCDRC out the door.

"We can work with the regional council on this," she said.

The SCDRC will continue to use meeting rooms in the Center for Economic Development building. SCDRC Executive Director Deb Kantrud said the council staff is not looking for larger office space, just for office space that has a better layout and room for future growth.

"We are looking for a building or office space that allows us to better utilize the space we occupy," she said.

Kantrud said the council staff's current office space doesn't allow for any expansion. The council currently has 13,000 square feet of office space.

"Our basic plan is to add three more office spaces," she said. "Our long-range plan is to have flexibility. As we're moving forward, we might end up going to smaller office space, but with a better layout."
Neis said the SCDRC's new office space will not include meeting room space. The SCDRC's monthly meeting will be held at the Center for Economic Development building.

Kantrud said the plan is to find new office space as soon as possible.

"We've had people inquire and offer us building space," she said. Now that the SCDRC Board has accepted the JSDC's offer, the SCDRC Executive Committee can consider offers.

In other business, the SCDRC board of directors elected one new member, Mary Hager, a Wells County commissioner, and re-elected Gary White, a Dickey County commissioner, and Kim Lees, a Buchanan city councilman, to the executive committee.